SEED Program Drives Economic Inclusion for 747 Young Persons with Disabilities in Oromia

390 young women and 357 young men complete intensive business skills training across 16 cities to launch their enterprise journeys

A total of 747 young Persons with Disabilities across the Oromia region have completed specialized entrepreneurship training to launch and scale their own micro-enterprises, accelerating regional market growth and financial self-reliance.

The milestone was achieved following a four-day Entrepreneurship and Business Skills Training (EBST) program held in 16 cities across Oromia from August 17 to 20, 2026. The cohort brought together 747 trainees (390 young female and 357 young male participants) aged 18 to 35 from diverse educational backgrounds.

The training was delivered under the Sustainable Employment through Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Development (SEED) Program, an initiative led by the Entrepreneurship Development Institute (EDI) in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation and in collaboration with the Oromia Bureau of Social Affairs.

Structured around a participatory planning framework, local stakeholders were engaged from inception to ensure integrated service delivery across the 16 targeted urban centers.

Representatives from city administrations, Job Creation and Vocational Offices, Social Affairs Offices, and Technical and Vocational Training (TVT) Colleges attended the opening and closing ceremonies, reflecting a unified institutional strategy to build inclusive local market systems.

Throughout the four-day program, the 747 participants completed coursework focused on business opportunity identification, market analysis, financial planning, and enterprise formulation, translating conceptual ideas into actionable business plans.

Following the training, EDI, alongside local administration offices and TVT colleges, will provide ongoing follow-up operations. Graduates will receive mentorship, business advisory services, hands-on technical training, access to finance, and market linkages to facilitate formal enterprise registration and market integration, ensuring young Persons with Disabilities transition from trainees into active drivers of local economic development.